Regina tilted her head, staring at him curiously. “Why is that?”
He seemed confused. “Why is what?”
“Why is it that you don’t form attachments with anyone? You mentioned that before. You really don’t have any friends?”
He brought his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling, his features going a bit stiff. “I really don’t.”
“But why? It’s obviously not for lack of personality or ability to hold a conversation. I’ll admit after the start we had I’m a little surprised, but never in my life have I felt as comfortable being around someone as quickly as I have with you.”
His smile surprised and relieved her a little bit, but he continued to stare up at the ceiling. “It’s never been because I can’t make friends or keep them, Regina. I choose not to make attachments that might lead to friendships.” He turned to her now, his expression much softer than when she’d first posed the question. “At least I had until now.”
Feeling her heart flutter, she couldn’t help smile. “So what changed your mind?”
He slid over and lifted himself onto his elbow to face her. With his hard body up against hers, he looked deep in her eyes. “You did.” Bringing his hand behind her neck, he pulled her gently to him and kissed her softly, stopping to suck her bottom lip for a moment. “Though I didn’t admit it then, you sucked me in from the moment I first laid eyes on you. Your lips alone are enough to drive me insane.” He ran his tongue across her bottom lip slowly. Then those intense eyes of his were on hers again. “I thought it was just a physical thing, something I could easily ignore like I always do when I meet attractive women, but little by little,” he said, leaning in and kissing her very slowly—very deeply—before pulling away, “I could tell there was more to you. After spending just a few hours with you, I knew I’d be in danger of wanting to come back for more of you.” He smiled. “Then you kissed me. Just one taste of this mouth,” his eyes dropped down to her lips, “and I was a goner.”
He took her mouth again and kissed harder now. With the excitement of knowing how crazed he could get from just kissing her and after what he’d just told her, she was hot and tingly all over. She brought her hand around his strong back, running it up and down and beginning to feel a little crazed herself.
Feeling his heartbeat thunder against her chest as he held her tighter had her having second thoughts about the nothing-more rule she’d set for tonight. But she had to keep a straight head. Her insides were a burning mixture of desire and excitement but at the same time fear. A part of her was completely intrigued by him, this incredibly complex man who was telling her he wanted more. Another part of her was afraid of what she was getting into. No attachments ever? No friends? Was she ready for someone so complicated in her life?
Falling deep into his amazing kisses and his gentle yet possessive embrace as he continued to kiss her endlessly, she could already feel herself giving into the idea.
He finally pulled away to catch his breath and stared deep in her eyes. “Brandon?” she asked, breathlessly.
“Hm?” he said, kissing her lips again softly then her chin and working his way down her neck.
“Are we friends now?”
His kisses ceased for a moment before he kissed then sucked on her neck softly. “Nope,” he said before sucking her neck a little harder, every part of her body trembling in response.
Confused because he’d just given her this speech about how he was making an exception for her, she had to ask. “Why not? I thought—”
He lifted his head and latched his teeth onto her bottom lip before she could finish, then bit down just enough to make it hurt so good—a sensation she’d never felt before. Sucking it one last time before pulling away, he stared at her very seriously, and his expression went soft again. “Silly girl,” he said with a peck. “I already told you my stand on men and women being friends.”
“But—”
His mouth was on hers again, kissing her in that crazed way he had the first day, the way that made her wild with desire, and she moaned in reaction to it. She wrapped her arms around him as he lifted himself onto her, obviously being careful that he didn’t touch her bad ankle. Pressed against her like this, there was no denying he was as aroused as she felt, and he continued to devour her mouth, her lips, and her tongue, like a man on a mission to make her come by just kissing her.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, that she might shamelessly moan, he pulled away and stared into her eyes very seriously, his hands cradling her face as he tried to calm his own labored breathing. “We’re not friends. We never will be, okay?” She nodded, not sure if she should be hurt or not. “I’m just gonna be upfront about this now so there is no doubt. I don’t mean this sexually, Regina. In that sense, we can go as slow as you want, but if, after this weekend, we’re not more than friends, then things go back to the way they were before Friday. If I’m gonna make this exception, then it’s either all or nothing. Anything in between is unacceptable.”
He stared at her for a moment, no doubt waiting for a reaction from her. She tried not to look as alarmed as she felt about the loaded statement he’d just dropped on her.
“All?” she asked cautiously. “What exactly do you mean by all?”
His brow lifted, and he continued to look at her very intensely. “I mean I’m not breaking my rule of no attachments to become friends with a woman who fascinates me and I can’t get enough of kissing. It would never work. Since I did offer my assistance for the entire weekend, you have it until then, but if you’re not looking for more than just a friend you enjoy kissing, then I’m out after tomorrow.”
At the risk of sounding dense, because she wanted to make sure she was absolutely clear on what he was saying, she had to ask. Her insides were already going nuts, and she didn’t want him to notice. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?
No longer able to remain composed and hold back how secretly thrilled this made her, she smirked. Already lying here in bed with Brandon was something she never would’ve believed she’d be doing just a few days ago. So asking what she was about to ask after spending just two days with him seemed even more absurd. Still, before she agreed to anything, she wanted it unmistakably clear. “Are you asking me to be your girl, Sergeant Billings?”
Finally, a smile softened what had now turned into an unyielding near glare after she’d apparently taken a bit long to respond for his liking. He nodded, but like so often when he responded to her before, he said nothing more.
As absurd as it seemed, she did feel as if she were his girl already. Not since college had she done the casual thing, and she certainly didn’t plan on moving on by starting off with just a casual thing now. Although ever since last year, she hadn’t considered doing anything. She still wasn’t sure she was ready, but he was being so all or nothing about it, and she didn’t want to risk him going back to the guy she once thought him to be now that she knew how amazingly sweet he could really be. She smiled. “I’d ask you to let me sleep on it, but I get the feeling I won’t be getting any sleep now. I know myself. I’d toss and turn over this all night.”
“What’s there to toss and turn about?” he asked. “I’m not asking you to marry me, Ms. Brady.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “Not yet anyway. I just need you to understand this now.” He looked into her eyes, suddenly going very serious again. “I don’t do the friends’ thing. So if you decide it’s all you wanna do, I don’t want you to be upset later because it’s not gonna happen. If you prefer we don’t take this any further, Monday things go back to the way they were before.”